


Lost Stars

by Chi_Yagami



Category: Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Genre: Drama, F/M, If there was a V route I imagine it would be something like this, Romance, Some spoilers but slightly au, Trains, V just deserves happiness
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-15
Updated: 2017-10-12
Packaged: 2018-09-08 18:07:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,357
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8855677
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chi_Yagami/pseuds/Chi_Yagami
Summary: She practically dropped her phone in shock.  She glanced at the man next to her, whose head had lulled even further over onto her headrest; any further and he'd be snoozing on her shoulder.  She looked at the picture on her screen again: it was definitely him.  Which meant that this person next to her on the train... was V.





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Please, don't see... just a girl caught up in dreams and fantasies._

“ _Line Twenty Six, Seoul to Busan will be departing from Platform Twelve in one minute. Last call for Line Twenty Six!”_

 

There was a yelp from somewhere near Platform Nine, and the crowd had to part to avoid the scrambling traveler as she darted across the train station. She almost dropped her phone once or twice as her pink flats slapped against the pavement, her purse banging along against her side roughly. MC skidded to a half in front of the platform, catching her breath and clutching at her knees. 

 

How had she lost track of time so easily? She glanced at her phone as Yoosung shot another worried text into the chat.  _That_ was the reason. She huffed and straightened out, walking quickly towards the correct train. Yoosung seemed really worried about Zen, and he'd spent the better part of the past fifteen minutes telling her that someone should visit him at the hospital. She and Zen were friendly, but MC figured it would be better if someone he actually knew visited him, and Jaehee fit the bill. Yoosung figured that, as a boy, he'd be turned away at the door, but due to Zen's weakness for women, MC or Jaehee would be let in. She wasn't sure how Jumin would feel about his assistant taking time to visit the injured actor, but she agreed that Jaehee was the best choice. She was a huge fan of the man's acting, so naturally she would want to help him get better, and the two were already friends. Besides, MC couldn't go because she already had plans.

 

Still panting slightly, she handed her ticket to the usher and stepped into the car. She'd entered near the middle of the train, where seats were split into rows of four divided in half by a wide path. She paused to check her phone again, comforting Yoosung's antics about not wanting to go to class. Agreeing once more that Jaehee should visit Zen in the hospital, MC bid the college student farewell and put her phone into her purse.

 

The car doors slid closed behind her, and the train slowly began to take off. She must have been the last passenger, and she thanked her lucky stars she had made it! She was already running late. Looking around, she found the train to be unusually full for a Tuesday around midday. She wondered if she would be able to get her own seats, or if she would have to share. MC didn't terribly mind sitting next to someone, but the ride was three hours long, and she didn't want to bother her seatmate with any future RFA chats or calls she was bound to have. 

 

She passed a few older riders as she walked down the aisle, leaving them in peace. Ideally, she wanted to sit next to someone wearing headphones, but most passengers were either talking to each other, talking on their phones, or, in the case of a few children, bouncing up and down in their chairs. After finding nothing, she entered the next and last car on the train, hoping to find something there. She cursed her luck when she saw no fully open seats, but it looked as though she had better options at least. She was heading for a seat in the back next to a teen with headphones, when she passed someone sleeping and had to double back.

 

She knew this man from somewhere. Staring down at his limp form, she racked her brain trying to recall where she'd seen him. He was slouching in the window seat, head pressed against the cushions of the open seat next to him and snoring lightly. His jacket was a bit shabby and didn't at all match his trendier tall boots, but what caught her eye most was the young man's face. His dark sunglasses were pressing uncomfortably into his cheek where it rested against the seat. Tousled pale blue hair framed his face and stuck to his forehead. He looked awfully familiar.

 

Abandoning the teenager in the back, MC carefully lowered herself onto the seat next to this mysterious stranger. Dropping her purse to the floor with a quiet thud, she studied his face further. His lips were parted, letting out a small snore every so often. His slender nose connected to a strong forehead with thin brows. He had high cheekbones that lead down to a narrow jawline. She caught herself staring in the reflection of his glasses and blushed. She didn't realize how far forward she'd been leaning, and MC quickly turned away, relaxing into the cushion behind her.

 

But who was he? She was certain she would remember someone with such striking blue hair. Or perhaps it was a green-turquoise, she couldn't be entirely sure. She couldn't help but stare at it again, either. Her brain was fully stumped, however, on who exactly he was and how she knew him. MC tapped her chin, thinking back on her friends from high school, or even classmates she barely knew. She couldn't remember anyone with blue hair, but perhaps it was a dye job? Which meant it could be virtually anyone. His dark shades didn't help her identify him at all, as his eyes were obscured. Not the she could see the color anyway, as he was sleeping, and since when could she remember random people based on their eye color? Drumming her fingers against her cheek now, MC went through the people she'd met during her college years, but none of them seemed to add up either.

 

Her purse vibrated against her foot.  _Probably Yoosung again_ , she thought. She retrieved her phone and opened the app. Instead of the blond worrying about exams or a LOLOL expedition, she found Jaehee and Jumin arguing. Not surprising, since they seemed to disagree over something at least once a day. She wondered how the two could work together in such close proximity if they were always bickering, watching the texts go back and forth. Jaehee had agreed to visit Zen, but Jumin was refusing. Instead, he wanted his assistant to head up some new coffee project. Which was ridiculous in her opinion, since the project was left specifically to Jumin by his father. But the corporate heir was having none of that and delegating all responsibilities to Jaehee. Not only that, but he was telling her to purposefully slack off just to piss off his father. MC tried to interject on the poor woman's behalf, but it was hard to convince Jumin Han to see any other way than his own. Seeing his assistant lament over being unable to visit Zen, it was again suggested that MC be the one to go to the hospital. She quickly fired back a few texts apologizing and explaining that she had plans all day. Jumin logged out with a quick goodbye, and Jaehee followed suit not long after.

 

She sighed, her shoulders relaxing and brushing the sleeping man. MC froze, having forgotten that he was there; his snores had mixed with the sounds of the rumbling train cars, or perhaps they had merely lessened. She was fairly certain that he was taller than her, but due to his lazy posture, she had almost nudged his chin with her shoulders. He had sunk into the seat quite a bit during his nap, almost falling over in the chair and propped up only by the cane he held loosely in his hands. He would have dropped it probably, if it hadn't been wedged between his boots.

 

Gentler in her movements, she looked back to her phone to find she had a new message from Jaehee about stress relief. She had to giggle at that, and she responded with suggestions of warm baths or massages. Hopefully the overworked woman would get a well-deserved break soon so that she could go take care of Zen. Jaehee always gushed over anything related to Zen's movies, musicals, or even his post-workout selfies. They would make such a cute couple.

 

Grinning to herself, MC resolved to pull out all of the stops to get Jaehee to that hospital, or... better yet, get her to visit Zen at his home! How sweet would that be? She began combing through all of the past pictures Zen had sent and rereading Jaehee's cute reactions. Then she came across a picture that he had sent through a chat with just  _her_ . It wasn't one of Zen's normal poses, and he didn't even look particularly glamorous in it. The photo was a few years old, back when Zen was relatively unheard of and still doing small musicals. The picture had come as a surprise, since he didn't realize anyone followed his career yet. But Rika had. Rika had given him flowers and wanted a picture with him. And also in the photograph... 

 

MC practically dropped her phone in shock. She glanced at the man next to her, whose head had lulled even further over onto her headrest; any further and he'd be snoozing on her shoulder. She looked at the picture on her screen again: it was definitely him. Which meant that this person... was V.

 

Although she was staying in Rika's old apartment, there was no trace of the former RFA member there. Any personal belongings had either been removed (which seemed doubtful, as only Rika and Seven had been here, and Rika was... well,  _dead_ , and Seven claimed to have only been over once), or they were hidden away in the forbidden drawers she had promised not to open. The apartment felt almost unlived in, and she wondered if Rika had ever really  _lived_ here. Though honestly, she was glad for that; she was already growing tired of being compared to the saintly woman, and being 'surrounded by traces of her'...  _literally_ ... would have been suffocating. The lack of personal effects meant, however, that there were also no photographs. So she hadn't known what Rika or V looked like until Zen had sent the picture, which she had then promptly forgotten about as it hadn't been important at the time. 

 

V was nothing how she had imagined. She had pictured someone similar to Jumin Han, well-dressed and no-nonsense, though perhaps a bit sad. But this person next to her... he could almost pass as one of those homeless people that lived on the subways and trains. She wondered if maybe in fact he  _was_ .

 

But no, that couldn't be right. Didn't V and Jumin grow up together? And V was a semi-famous photographer whose works were auctioned off at RFA parties for large sums. He couldn't be living on the streets. She felt silly for judging him based on his sleeping habits. He was probably just a passenger like her, maybe even heading to the same place. But how crazy was that for them to be on the same exact train at the same exact time?

 

Should she say something to the others? Send them a selfie of her and the elusive V? But that didn't feel right; Yoosung had mentioned V to be a private person with secrets, and V might not want the others to know of his train ride. Why he'd care, she didn't know, but she decided against saying anything in the chatroom. Still, she should probably introduce herself or something. Jaehee, and probably the others, were still wary of trusting a stranger with the organization's future, but if V told everyone that they had met, would it clear up any misunderstandings?

 

His head slid down the plush lining of the seat until his cheek rested in the crook of her neck. MC gripped her phone tightly, carefully looking to the mess of blue hair now directly to her right. His sunglasses had fallen loose and hung from the tips of his ears, and she wondered why he was wearing them inside. She could feel his labored breaths as he slept against her shoulder, the hot air tickling her collarbone. The metal edge of his glasses dug into her skin, but no matter how irritating the sensation was, she stayed as perfectly still as she could. It felt as if one shift or a deep breath might awaken him from his slumber. And he looked so peaceful.

 

She knew he was still going through a rough period. Yoosung was upset at V's distance after Rika's death, but MC felt she could understand. His entire world had been turned upside down. The woman he loved was gone, and hadn't someone mentioned that they were engaged? She peered at the hands folded over his cane, but she saw no gold band on any of the fingers there. He could have taken it off since, or they may not have been engaged at all. Either way, Rika was his everything, and she had left this world. That must have been heartbreaking. How could they expect V to recover so quickly after only a year?

 

Checking her phone again, she skimmed past conversations for any mention of V. She found no new information, nothing she hadn't already remembered. He himself hadn't been online for two days; their last conversation had been V setting the party date.  _Speaking of..._ She opened her inbox to reply to the few guest emails she'd received earlier that day.

 

Responding to the guests' queries had taken a surprising amount of time.  _These party people sure have a lot of elaborate questions,_ she thought. Checking the clock on her phone, MC saw that they were a little over an hour into her ride; she wondered how long V's trip was and how long he had already been there. After setting the party, he had told Seven he was taking a trip.  _This trip,_ she realized, feeling stupid. But... wasn't he supposed to be abroad or something? There wasn't really anything south of Busan, so they could very well be heading to the same destination...

 

A series of chimes broke through the car noise as her phone went off. Texts and chats had been set to vibrate, but she'd forgotten to mute the calls! The volume wasn't horribly loud, but she fumbled to answer it before V woke. His brows furrowed as he shifted, pressing his nose into the junction between her neck and shoulder blade, and she swallowed nervously.

 

“Hello!?” she hissed into the receiver, as V sighed in his sleep and let out a breath of warm air.

 

“ _MC, why are you whispering?”_ Yoosung's voice was unnecessarily loud, and she could hear idle chatter in the background as he walked around the campus. _“Did you see what Jumin and Jaehee were talking about?”_

 

She laughed softly. “Yoosung, I was there,” she replied knowingly, keeping her voice as quiet as possible.

 

“ _Oh... right, haha. Can you believe that guy?”_ he asked, referring to Jumin. “ _Making Jaehee take on another workload... and then telling her to purposely mess up! Now she'll never get to visit Zen!”_

 

She huffed. “Is that why you called? To rant about the missed opportunity for matchmaking?”

 

Yoosung paused sulkily.  _“Maybe... But even you admit they'd be good together! You barely know them and can already tell~ or maybe this is what you call 'a woman's intuition'?”_

 

She snorted. “What would you know about a woman's intuition?” she teased, laughing when Yoosung stuttered. “Haha, I didn't mean anything by it, honest!”

 

“ _Everyone's always so mean!”_ he cried dramatically, and she could picture him waving his free arm around. _“Always saying I'll never get a girlfriend and that I'll be forever alone! I'll find a special someone someday, don't you think?”_

 

“Of course you will, Yoosung,” MC reassured. “But maybe you should spend less time in your room playing LOLOL and more time out actually _meeting_ girls.”

 

Yoosung let out a series of complaints, but she didn't hear it. It was drowned out by a groan from the man next to her.

 

“Honey,” V interrupted, voice raspy with sleep. His lips tickled her neck as he spoke. “Can't you just set him up with one of your friends so he'll stop whining...?”

 

_Honey?_ Surely he wasn't referring to her...? But he  _was_ responding to her conversation. Oh. Maybe... did he think she was  _Rika?_ That thought was both romantic and sad, that even now he still imagined her with him.

 

Yoosung's wails broke through her musings.  _“Hel~lo! Are you still there?”_ he wondered, all but shouting at this point.  _“Did I stun you into silence? Or...have I repulsed you?”_

 

“I– what?” she asked, freezing as V shook his head and grumbled. He was beginning to wake up fully. 

 

“ _I said... it's hard for me to meet girls; you're the first one who's really talked to me in a long time...”_ He sounded nervous, and slightly hopeful. _“So I wondered... if maybe you would like to be my girlfriend...?”_

 

Her brain fizzled, short-circuiting.  _He wants me to be his...!? His...girlfriend???!_ Yoosung was sweet and cute, but she wasn't ready for that sort of relationship yet, if at all. They barely knew each other. But she knew he would hang on her every word, and their friendship, and her relations with the entire RFA, could depend on how she handled this. MC stumbled over her words; her tongue was suddenly large and heavy. “I... I...” She heard Yoosung's breathing hitch on the other end of the line. “Yoos-sung, I'm f-flattered,” she managed to stutter at last. “But... We haven't even met yet!” She bit her lip and glanced around. “What if–” 

 

Her brown eyes met electric blue.

 

V chuckled awkwardly. “Well,” he mumbled, pushing his sunglasses into place with his finger, “you're not Rika.” Then, more quietly to himself, “Or if you are, my eyes are worse than I thought.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This does not take place during any particular route, though the chats featured have been pulled from Day 6 of Jaehee. I tagged it as slightly au because while it mostly follows the game, I have changed a few details which will be revealed later.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Please... see me. Reaching out for someone I can't see._

His eyes had been impossibly blue. The shades were back in place covering them now, but the image of those eyes burned into her mind. Her mouth opened but no words came out as she seemed to lose her voice for the second time in a matter of minutes. V smiled, amused by her stunned reaction, even if he was unaware of the exact thoughts running through her mind. Luckily, Yoosung's loud antics roused her from her stupor. Or perhaps unluckily, she noted, as V glanced at her cellphone. Apparently he could hear the blond, too.

 

“ _Oh, right, of course_ ,” Yoosung laughed nervously. “ _Well maybe after the party, we can get to know each other better and–_ ” 

 

V's eyes, which were barely visible through the lenses (though, visible nonetheless), slid from the phone back to her, his smile becoming curious. MC hastily swallowed the butterflies that had gathered in her throat.

 

“Yoosung, I have to go,” she interrupted apologetically. She cut the call before he could finish asking her out again. She would call him back later and smooth over what was sure to be a huge misunderstanding.

 

She had yet to unlock eyes with V, who was still watching her with mild interest. She licked her lips, stalling her mouth while she tried to come up with an appropriate explanation.

 

He tilted his head and smiled wider. “We could keep staring at each other like this all day, you know. Well, at least until the end of the train ride,” he amended. V laughed when her eyes popped like saucers. “So... care to tell me who you are and why you're sitting here?”

 

Whatever introduction she had been trying to prepare was gone.  _'Why am I sitting here'? What a silly question!_ She blinked stupidly, at a loss for how to answer his question without sounding rude.

 

“Uhm, well, it's a train...” she started, but then paused after he snickered lightly.

 

“Hmm, you don't say,” he agreed, sounding honestly good-natured. However, his boyish grin told her otherwise.

 

He laughed more openly, and MC realized she was pouting in frustration. “Yes, we're on a train, and I decided to sit here,” she huffed, crossing her arms childishly. “Is that a problem?”

 

V couldn't contain the grin that spread across his face once more. “Considering that seats are assigned upon purchase, I would argue that yes, someone may have a problem with it. Especially as the seat you're currently occupying was purchased years ago.”

 

There were several questions she had with his logic, but MC decided to tackle them one at a time. “Since when have seats been assigned?” she bit back, leaning into the cushions.

 

“Since this car became for Reserved Tickets Only,” he responded, not missing a beat. “Which, to my knowledge, has been for almost six years now.” He smirked at her shocked expression. “With that look on your face... I can only guess you are either sitting in the wrong seat, or perhaps you're in the wrong car altogether.”

 

MC was embarrassed to say the least. She could see now why V and Jumin were close; they both had a twisted sense of humor. But she could also tell by the way V was smiling so genuinely, that he likely meant no real ill will. She had yet to meet Jumin, but from the way Jaehee, Zen, and the others described him, Jumin Han directed a lot of ill will towards people on regular occasion.

 

“Be that as it may,” she scoffed, attempting as much dignity as she could. She remembered the rest of his argument and cocked an eyebrow. “This seat was not occupied when I got here, and no one has tried to claim it within the last hour.”

 

_Bring it on, Shades._

 

His smile waned just enough for the corners of his cheeks to drop. “So it would seem,” he agreed. Although his voice was still friendly, the tone wasn't at all playful.

 

_'Especially as the seat you're currently occupying was purchased years ago.'_

 

Shit. He was referring to Rika wasn't he?  _Oh my god_ , she thought. Was this some trip the couple had planned together before the RFA founder had died? MC felt a terrible guilt spilling into her stomach. V was likely on some sort of posthumous road trip, and wasn't he Catholic?  _What if he thinks he's with Rika's spirit, and here I am sitting on top of her!?_ MC flinched at the creepy and depressing ideas now flooding her mind.

 

She awkwardly stood, almost tripping over her own feet. “Oh my god-gosh, I am so  _very_ sorry,” she apologized, even bowing her head in regret. “I didn't think–I didn't mean to ruin your trip!” She was rambling, and V was watching, his mouth slightly open and his brows knitted in confusion at her sudden change in demeanor. “I shouldn't have sat down...” She looked at the seat, trying to imagine someone sitting there. “I apologize if I accidentally sat down on–ah, I should go,” she spluttered, grabbing her purse from the floor and holding her phone to her chest in her other hand.

 

She backed out into the aisle only for V to follow suit. He stood, staring at her skittish form with raised eyebrows. “Wait, wait,” he said, reaching an arm out to physically stop her from leaving. He had second thoughts though, and his arm shyly returned to his side. “I didn't mean to scare you off. You can sit back down; I don't mind.”

 

MC glanced at the seat with hesitation. She really would like to get to know V if given the chance. Even if he kept secrets as Yoosung claimed and refused to answer her questions about his life and the RFA, she would like to be on friendly terms. However, if he was on a romantic vacation with his dead girlfriend... She wanted no part in that. The subject of Rika already made her feel uneasy, and she didn't want V knowing about that; he had been in love with Rika and any negative feelings on MC's part would put them at odds.

 

Sensing her apprehension, V leaned forward. “You don't have to worry; I know I said the seat was taken, but it's free.” When she still didn't respond, he continued, “I bought these tickets a few years back but never used them... They're good for whenever, so it didn't really matter. So I forgot about them until recently. But now, the person I wanted to go with... couldn't make it.” He sounded so lost in his own memories. If he were a friend, she would have given him a hug with no second thoughts. Even as things were, she was seriously considering comforting him.

 

“So you're welcome to sit here,” he finished, sitting back down and patting the empty seat. A smile graced his features. “I don't mind, truly.”

 

She took a tiny step towards him. “Are you sure?” she questioned, biting her lip and glancing at the seat yet again. “I don't want to intrude...”

 

“In that case, I insist,” he assured, patting the cushion again.

 

She slowly sat back down, very aware of V's eyes on her. She was pretty sure that they hadn't really left her since he'd woken; it was making the tiny hairs on her neck stand on end. Why did he have to stare at her so openly? With such interest? It was unnerving.

 

“Did I do something to put you on edge?” he asked, correctly reading her discomfort. “I didn't think I'd scare you...”

 

MC waved her hands quickly. “You didn't scare me!” she replied. “I was just worried that I sat on Rika's ghost or something.”

 

V's eyebrows shot up as he looked at her in alarm, before his eyes narrowed. His arms rigidly held his cane in place with a tight grip. Everything about his posture told her that he was suspicious and guarded. Maybe he _did_ think Rika's spirit was here, and MC had somehow just insulted both of them. She had never been particularly religious, and while she knew that Catholics believed souls went to Heaven, she also had heard of a Holy Ghost... did Catholics believe in ghosts? Or was that like witchcraft to them? Shit. That college religious studies course she passed on would really come in handy right now...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry everyone, I could have sworn I posted a chapter 2 to this story a while back.... very bizarre. Or if I did post a second chapter, ao3 somehow combined them without my knowledge. 
> 
> After a hiatus, I am currently working on chapter 3. So while that is happening, I hope you all enjoyed this delayed chapter 2! Again, I apologize~


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Take my hand. Let's see where we wake up tomorrow._

“How do you know about Rika?” V inquired, and if his gaze hadn't already been one-hundred-percent focused on her, there was no more room for debate. His eyes seemed drawn to her as if magnetically, the weight of his watch heavy and tense behind his dark glasses. Such darkness should have shielded this gaze from her, but somehow, the lenses made it that much stronger.

 

However... What did he mean, asking her how she knew Rika? All of the RFA members had mentioned the organization founder at some point, even V himself. Yoosung especially liked to talk about his cousin, continuing to compare her to MC despite the brunette's repeated protests. “Umm, well, you told me about her...” she trailed off, uncertain, licking her lips.

 

His suspicion turned to bewilderment, his nose scrunching as he continued to frown. MC didn't understand the confusion on his part. Had he forgotten? No, she doubted that, but... Perhaps he was shocked she could sense Rika's ghost, too? Well, one thing was certain: Yoosung was wrong about V having moved on from Rika's death. He was clinging to a ghost more than anyone else in the RFA.

 

V was still watching her curiously. “Wait...” he said, as if speaking aloud from the middle of a conversation he'd been having within his own mind, “you... you mentioned Yoosung earlier, didn't you?” Her ears grew warm as she recalled the blond's desperation in asking her out; she wondered just how much V had heard. He leaned forward and she instinctively leaned back.

 

“Are you a friend of Rika's?”

 

That... she was not expecting. Hadn't they been over this already? When she'd asked from the start, what's going on and who the hell is Rika? Didn't Seven and V do background checks on her? They should know if she was a friend of Rika's (which she was  _not_ ), and for that matter... shouldn't V recognize her? If they did extensive background checks, they'd know everything about her. She was positive at least, that Seven knew quite a bit, and he claimed to have her picture. Surely he had shared this information with his “boss” and leader of the RFA?

 

Before she could say anything in response, her phone rang again. _Not now, Yoosung_ , she pleaded internally.

 

But it wasn't Yoosung. It was Jumin. Reminded of what was happening with the RFA and Jaehee, she quickly answered,  turning away and  delaying her awkward conversation with V.

 

She didn't even get to say hello before Jumin was speaking.  _“Black or white? Which color better suits a hotel logo?”_ he asked promptly.

 

“I.. _._ what? What are you talking about?” she replied, thrown off by his random question.

 

“ _I'm thinking about opening a new hotel, and I can't decide on a black or white logo,”_ he continued. _“Black is sleek and classic, but white is the beautiful color of Elizabeth the Third's fur... Hmm.”_

 

“Then go with white,” MC suggested, pointedly not looking at V. “But why are you asking me?”

 

She heard the rustling of papers.  _“Because you like cats.”_

 

MC respected Jumin as an intelligent businessman, but sometimes he said the most vague and confusing things. “What do cats have to do with this?”

 

Jumin huffed.  _“Cats have to do with everything when it comes to me,”_ he explained tersely.  _“And this hotel is for cats.”_

 

She almost dropped the phone. “A hotel... for  _cats_ ,” she replied numbly.

 

“ _Hmm, I think Elizabeth the Third would make an excellent mascot... yes.. she's perfect... Excuse me,”_ he said seriously, _“but I need to focus on the design now. Have a good afternoon.”_ And then he hung up.

 

She sat there with the phone still up to her ear, staring at nothing in particular and wondering if Jaehee was about to have her hands full with another cat project. Sighing, she felt she could ignore _his_ gaze no longer. She turned to V and found she could not read his expression.

 

“You're MC,” he said simply, yet thoughtfully, as if drawing a conclusion.

 

Oh god, she had never introduced herself! No wonder he was curious how she knew Rika and asking if she was Rika's friend. She wanted to slap a hand to her forehead in embarrassment.

 

She gave a nervous wave and said, “Hi..”

 

He reached out and caught her hand, startling her. But all he did was shake it lightly. “I'm V, head of the RFA,” he introduced. A small grin spread across his mouth. “But it looks like you knew that already.”

 

Guilt consumed her. “Honestly, I didn't recognize you when I sat down,” she apologized earnestly. “I only realized it was you while going through photos in the messenger.”

 

He nodded, the boyish grin still there. “And just when were you going to tell me who you are?” he teased.

 

_Busted_ , she thought. “Err, I sort of forgot,” she admitted. Curious, she added, “But I thought you would have recognized me? Seven said he has my picture; surely he sent it to along with everything else he dug up on me.”

 

He smiled regretfully. “I apologize for not recognizing you. The pictures Luciel sent were all from your high school yearbooks, which are apparently a few years old.” He glanced down, and MC followed. They were still holding hands, and, noticing this, MC hastily let go and ran a hand through her hair nervously.

 

“Yeah, well... high school photos were awful.” How embarrassing that those yearbook photos were V's first impressions of her.

 

“Indeed,” he agreed, smiling kindly. “They don't do you justice at all.”

 

MC blushed, and V suddenly looked penitent. “I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. Please...  don't feel like you need to leave. ” He  had noticed her rigid posture and how she was sitting at the edge of seat .

 

She  forced herself back into the cushions , feeling less uncomfortable but not quite comfortable just yet. “It's all right... Yearbook photos tend to be bad.”

 

He nodded. “No creativity in those photos. It pains me as an artist,” he joked.

 

MC smiled a little. “I'm sure your photos look much better. Zen showed me one; it's beautiful.”

 

“Thank you. I'm honored Hyun has that photo on his phone, taking space away from another of those selfies...”

 

She giggled, but V lapsed into a profound silence, and she wondered what he was thinking about. She really wanted to ask what he was doing on this train, but MC felt that might be too personal, especially if it had anything to do with Rika. But the silence was deafening, and she groped around for a suitable conversation topic.

 

“So what–”

 

“I thought you were–”

 

They had tried to speak at the same time. “Sorry,” she said with a blush. “What were you saying?”

 

“No, no,” V argued, resting comfortably in his seat. “Ladies first. I insist.”

 

“Umm, okay then,” she started, her cheeks still pink. “I thought... It's just that... Didn't you say you were going on a trip?”

 

V smiled cheekily. “Doesn't riding a train count as a trip?”

 

His playful banter kept throwing her off guard. Going from the chats, MC had expected him to be quiet and aloof, not this... odd behavior. It was making her nervous.

 

She huffed. “A trip _abroad_. I'm pretty sure you told Seven you'd be somewhere abroad with no cell service.” She looked at him smugly, daring him to contradict her.

 

He didn't. “Ah, right. I did say that,” he agreed, finally pulling his gaze away from her to stare out the window at the passing scenery. “And I will be... out of the country soon. But... I wanted to take this little train ride first.”

 

He offered no further information, and MC was reluctant to ask.

 

“So, what about you?” he asked pleasantly, his eyes back on her. “What brings you here today?”

 

Feeling her face grow hot yet again, MC  _really_ wished she would stop blushing like an idiot every time V said something. She didn't understand why she was so embarrassed and nervous. It wasn't like her. Something about him though... was making her flustered.

 

“I...” But she hesitated. V was being so nice, and he seemed so relaxed. She really didn't want to burden him with her story.

 

“I'm... visiting someone,” she offered instead. At least it was the truth.

 

“You have friends?” he asked with mock surprise. She glared at him until he broke face and laughed. “You're just always on the messenger, so...”

 

“How would you know that?” she replied, half peeved and half curious. “You're hardly online at all.”

 

He smiled ruefully. “I apologize. But Luciel keeps me up to date with what goes on.  He says you're constantly online and rarely leave the apartment, so this is a bit of a surprise.”

 

She blushed horribly again. “I  _do_ have a life, you know...”

 

They were silent for a moment after that.

 

“They must be very special then,” V concluded warmly, “for you to have come all this way.”

 

She ducked behind a curtain of hair before allowing herself to smile sadly. “Yes. They are.”

 

They lapsed into silence. Perhaps V had sensed her discomfort, but she couldn't tell; he was looking out the window again. MC sighed and closed her eyes, leaning back into the seat.

 

Maybe she shouldn't have come. For all of his jokes, she felt that V didn't want to talk about why  _he_ was here. Surely it had something to do with Rika. And she didn't want to talk about her reasons because they would only bring down the conversation. But here they were, both lost in their own sad thoughts, not talking at all. At least before, V had been peacefully asleep.

 

And with everything that was happening in the RFA, this trip had come at a bad time. But... it was something she couldn't miss. She couldn't just not visit her mother.

 

_Mom, I wonder what you're doing right now. I'm sorry it's been so long since I visited. Things have gotten complicated. I'm sure you'll be angry to find out that I was let go from yet another job. But you won't have to worry; I found a place to stay. Temporarily at least. And I sort of even have a job... it just doesn't pay. I'm sure you'll be surprised to find out I'm an event coordinator for a charity organization. The members are a bit strange, but I like them a lot. If you ever get the chance to meet them, I'm sure you'll like them, too..._

 

She must have dozed off. MC blinked sleepily. She felt something something  moving underneath her head, and she realized she was leaning against something. An odd sound caught her attention, and she blinked a bit more. V was holding a book and had just turned the page. She blinked again, much more awake.

 

She had fallen asleep on his arm! She sat up quickly, hissing when her neck popped. V put down his book at once, alarmed.

 

“Oh my, are you okay?” he asked worried. “That sounded painful.”

 

She rubbed the back of her neck gently. “I'm... fine, just sat up too fast.” She smiled sheepishly. “Sorry for falling asleep on you.”

 

He still seemed concerned, but V smiled. “It's quite all right. Makes us even now, I suppose.”

 

She grinned at that, before looking around in concern. “How long was I asleep?”

 

“Don't worry; we've still got another half hour at least.”

 

“Oh, okay.”

 

He watched her, still looking worried. “You can go back to sleep on my arm if you like,” he offered.

 

Her face flushed again. “Ah! No, thank you! I'm good,” she replied, embarrassed.  She groped around for her phone. She needed something to do besides make cringeworthy conversation.

 

“Well, then...” V leaned forward, causing MC to pause in her phone fumbling. He had another concerned frown upon his lips, but his voice sounded quiet and gentle. 

 

“Care to tell me what you were dreaming about that had you crying?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, took forever to update this. I apologize! Thank you so much to everyone who has been reviewing. Your kind and funny words keep me going!
> 
> I have finished both the good and normal endings of V's route. This story is different, so I don't think there will be any spoilers for those of you who haven't played his route. And if you haven't, you should! I loooooved it. Can't wait for the after ending!
> 
> That said, I do plan to write another V/MC story based on his route. I also have a Vanderwood story in the works, if anyone likes him. I find his character hilarious.


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